Reporter Newspaper Article
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Sunday, April 7th, 2019 THE REPORTER Guatemala’s Fishing Trade Spells Trouble for Belize - A Reporter Special Feature unsustainable fishing gears, such as (gill) An investigation into nets followed by long Guatema-la’s thriving lines, are blamed for shark fish- the decline.” ing industry reveals In light of the pro- serious concerns for posed gillnet ban in Be- our country and fisher- lizean waters, our team folk. In February 2019, of journalists traveled a team of investigative south in February 2019 journalists from The to better understand Reporter traveled to this crisis. Fisher-men southern Belize, then to from Dangriga, Guatemala to evaluate Hopkins, Sittee Riv-er, the number and scope Riversdale, Seine of sharks, fish and Bight, Punta Gorda and other marine species Barranco were inter- poached from Belizean viewed, as were fish- waters and exported to ing industry personnel Guatemala. Their from Livingston and findings were startling Puerto Barrios, Gua- Boats leaving Livingston, Guatemala and it was discovered temala. Their observa- that this issue has deep roots. In 2007, Dr. Rachel tions were concerning Reef and Turneffe. We Graham, a renowned for the livelihoods of were told that they fish shark expert living in Belizean fishermen, at night in Belize’s Ma- Belize, published a re- Belize’s economy and rine Protected Areas. search paper entitled border relations with One fisherman stated Vulnerability Assess- our neighbors. “deh noh pay no at- ment of Sharks and In spite of Dr. Gra- tention to no protected Rays in Belize: Cap- ham’s recommenda- area.” The Sapodilla ture and Trade. In this tions, now published Caye Marine Protected study, commissioned more than a decade Area was specifically by the Wildlife Con- ago, the export of Be- mentioned in this re- servation Society and lizean fish products to gard. permitted by the Belize Guatemala appears to These vessels, al-t h Fisheries Department, have expanded sig- o u g h p r i m a r i l y Dr. Graham assessed nificantly. In addition targeting shark, ex- the vulnerability of to large quantities of tract large quantities Belizean sharks and shark meat, shark fins of finfish plus under- rays related to their and rays, the illegal sized conch, crabs and export to Guatemala. harvest, export and shrimp. These catch- She notes that “Shark sale of Belizean fin- es were documented meat is not regularly fish, (including sport photographically and consumed in Belize” fish), conch, shrimp clearly indicate that and “Sharks are tradi- and other marine spe- some of these vessels tionally captured in Be- cies to Guatemala is a are dragging their nets lize and exported as dry present-day reality. along the sea floor salted fillet to neigh- With a booming mar- essentially acting as boring countries,” pri- ket, there’s no end in trawlers. (Trawling marily Guatemala. sight. was banned in Belize Dr. Graham’s study Fishermen from Sit- in 2010.) revealed that most tee River, Seine Bight Livingston, Guate- sharks were processed and Riversdale report- mala appears to be the and then exported from ed they are aware of epicenter of the shark seven shark fishing at least a half dozen and finfish trade from camps extending from “shark fishing camps” Belize. Once Belizean southern Belize north- operating in South- ward to the fringes of ern Belize. These are Belizean Export Permit Belize City. She esti- processing centers op- mated from October erated by naturalized fish Belizean waters at larger fishing boats 2006 to April 2007, Belizeans from Guate- night with gillnets and from Livingston, Gua- more than 1.7 million mala where sharks and that activity generally temala now regularly pounds of whole shark fish are corned (salted) starts around 8:00 p.m. fish in Belizean waters. and nearly 26,000 and loaded unto boats and continues until These vessels also fish thousand pounds of to be taken to Guate- around 4:00 am. Fish- at night, primarily uti- dried shark fins were mala. Belizean fisher- ermen estimated that lizing large gillnets, exported from Belize to men indicate that small over 100,000 pounds of some reported by fish- Guatemala. Dried shark boats from these camps shark meat and finfish ermen to be one-mile in fins alone were carry loads up to 1,000 are taken out of Be- length. Several of these estimated to fetch more pounds of shark meat, lizean waters to Gua- vessels were observed than $2.5 million Be- shark fins and finfish temala and Honduras leaving Livingston har- lize dollars. Dr. Gra- to their home coun- between Christmas and bor at dusk and arriv- ham concluded in 2007 try, while larger boats Easter each year. Other ing back in Livingston that “Sharks in Belize can carry up to 4,000 sources estimated that around daylight. Indi- are scarce where they pounds per trip. These the export amount ex- viduals receiving the were once abundant” camps have concen- ceeds 200,000 pounds catch from these boats and that “Shark re- trated on sharks in the annually. One camp on for processing con- sources have declined past, but with declin- Coco Solo Caye was firmed that it was from in the past 10 years and ing shark populations, recently occupied by Belize. Our sources the state of the fish-ery have diversified to now the Belize Coast Guard indicate that these Gua- is poor.” She high- catch and process vast and fish processing was temalan vessels operate lighted that “increased quantities of finfish. halted. as far north as Robin- demand and fishing Sources indicated In addition to the son Point near Belize pressure from Guate- City and also around that fishermen from semi-permanent fish mala combined with these camps primarily processing camps, Lighthouse, Glover’s Field of air dried fish THE REPORTER Sunday, April 7th, 2019 Guatemala’s Fishing Trade Spells Trouble for Belize lizean from Guatemala Guatemala from Be- In summary, this ap- Recent data shows that with 15 years of fishing lize told us that they pears to be a major ma- 35% of our Gross Do- experience explained are rarely checked by rine incursion into Be- mestic Product comes that foreign fishermen Customs. Export lize’s territory similar from tourism with 60% skirt the law by claim- documents are quickly to what is occurring in of tourists participat- ing to live in Belize stamped by agents in the Chiquibul National ing in marine activi- while actually residing Punta Gorda or Inde- Forest. Large quanti- ties. Without fish, this in Guatemala. He ex- pendence and they are ties of Belizean fish are is all in jeopardy. plained that naturalized simply asked to, being exported for sale Editor’s Note: It ap- Guatemalan fishermen “Bring us something in Guatemala with zero pears the availability of can receive a Belizean when you return.” benefit to Belize. This fresh fish has be-come fishing license and an Belizean fishermen incursion is per-haps limited in Belize. export permit from the are acutely aware of the more significant than Several local restau- Fisheries Department if foreign presence in Chiquibul in that it is rants report that they they can verify that their waters and the severely damaging two cannot find a reliable they have a Belizean benefits foreign gillnet of Belize’s most source of fresh fish and address by producing a fishers are enjoying at important industries – have thus turned to utility bill in their their expense. One fish- commercial fishing and imported fish from name. At a meeting erman called his catch tourism, to say nothing Southeast Asia to serve with fishermen in “a drop in the bucket” of our food resources. their customers. Fish Vats pound in Guatemala fish arrive in Livings- and that a large shark ton, shark fins are har- can generate up to 12 vested, sharks and fish pounds of fins. This are cleaned and corned lucrative market is kept (salted) for local con- separate from the shark sumption and shark oil meat market with fins is processed. Villagers quickly removed and transferred for sale, explained that three individuals purchase presumably to the nearly all fish products Asian market. Sources from Belize. They buy explained that shark meat brings approxi- any quantity or type of fish which is then stored mately US$4 - $5 per in a warehouse in large pound so this is also a plastic vats. One of lucrative market with an estimated 100,000 these fish traders keeps $500,000 Quet-zales – 200,000 pounds of (BZ$166,666) available shark meat per year in cash at all times for being netted in Belize conducting business. On for sale in Livingston. any given day, this Through conversa- trader holds funds to tions with fish pro- purchase up to 33,333 cessors, we learned Permit Fish in holding tanks pounds of Be-lizean fish that sport fishing spe- and shark. cies including bone- Dangriga, one person when compared with A peek inside one of fish, permit, tarpon openly acknowledged foreigners. Local fish- these facilities revealed and snook are regu- that he rents a house in ers complained that row upon row of hold- larly harvested (with Belize to several differ- patrols are few and that ing tanks filled with gillnets) in Belizean ent fishermen who ac- they primarily apply shark meat, and various waters and then trans- tually live in Guatema- strict rules on Beliz- species of fish includ - ported to Guatemala la, stating “Hey, I have eans and not fisher- ing permit fish, snook - to be sold for food. In a place to rent and they men from neighboring and even sprat. Several Livingston, we ob- want to rent it.” We countries who are us- nearby piers were filled served several 80-gal- were informed that oth- ing larger boats, gill- with recently salted lon drums of corned ers use addresses that nets and long lines to fish being dried.